Mark Cody’s grandmother took her own life while suffering depression and loneliness, and that act propelled him to start a turbo-charged effort to reduce social isolation. Called “Granborghini,” the charity connects the elderly in the UK with the owners of supercars made by Ferrari and McLaren to give them a spin. Mark had always promised his grandmother that he would take her for a ride in a Lamborghini one day, but never got the opportunity. That’s why he made a promise to make sure that others have the same chance in the name of preventing future tragedies of isolation. “We’ve had people step out of the car and say ‘I feel like a rock star’ or ‘I feel 20 years younger,'” said Mark. “It’s so heart-warming and overwhelming emotionally to see people's reactions.” Partnering with Mark is 82-year-old Betty Tynan, organizer of the small social group called Friendship Lunches, and also the first grandmother to get behind the wheel of one of the supercars. Tynan revealed recently that even though the opportunity was there to drive one, the members of the luncheon club were like wildebeest at the edge of the river, waiting to see who’s the first one to jump in. For starters, the low riding cars are a bit difficult to get in and out of, but Tynan is a social soul and wanted to have a go immediately. The McLaren’s owner, Robin Gibbons, said he got involved with Granborghini in order to do exactly what he wanted to do when he bought the car: make people smile. “They’ve got a good few cars here and I’m hoping to get in every one,” said Tynan. “It’s made our lives, doing this.”
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| Mark prepares to take 85-year-old Toni for a ride |
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| Bessie Watts (left) is taken for a spin in a Maclaren by Robin Gibbons (right) |
